Advantages to running WooGLE off any particular folder?
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Hmm... Based on recent forum comments, I get this unshakable feeling that I'm the only guy here who runs WooGLE off the non-modded (original) WOG folder. What's up with that, anyway? I guess that makes me a RWONMF. (Run Woogle off non-modded folder). Rock on, RWONMFs!
But seriously, is there some kind of advantage to running Woogle off GooTool's output directory? It seems to me that I used to do this, a long time ago, and it ended up deleting one of my levels I had worked really hard on. I know, this isn't supposed to happen, but I'm pretty sure it did. I'm not going to demand to know why, since I can't really remember the details of the scenario, but I'm wondering how this was possible, and if the upcoming new version of GooTool will make this impossible to happen.
Any thoughts/comments? I can't personally see any advantage of running Woogle off GooTool's output folder, other than overwriting a level I'm making when I install a goomod of it (which can be a bug, or a feature, depending on how you use it). So, until further notice, I shall remain a Rwonmf. (I like that word, it makes me sound like I'm growling or something.)
Of course, I don't run Woogle off my Program Files installation of World of Goo. I haven't actually touched that installation for a long time...
That's what it was! I kept changing images in GooTool's output folder WOG, and every time I hit "Save" in GooTool, it would overwrite those images, and I'd be stuck back with the original images. Annoying, to say the least. Does GooTool know when you've modified images somehow, or does it just block copy all the images over, overwriting any changes?
I suppose the only advantage would be that it wouldn't be in Program Files, so non-admins can read and write files from it...I personally use my Another Planet folder, because that's what I'm working on at the moment and it's on the desktop so I can do one-click decryption.
EDIT: And GooTool just overrides everything, it doesn't look at it first (unlike WooGLE/WooBLE/Goovie
Another Planet finally has an official release! Download chapters 1 through 3 here! Thank you for waiting so long while I kept starting over.
Ok. Well, I don't even use my Program Files installation anymore, like I was saying. I just use a copy...
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My desktop has been invaded by Goo Balls!
On the taskbar is a Common (World of Goo), a Fuse (modded), a Pokey (Another Planet), a goo on a cliff (WooGLE), another Common (GooBLE), a Fish (Goo Modder), an Ivy (GooTool), and a common on a film reel (Goovie)!
Another Planet finally has an official release! Download chapters 1 through 3 here! Thank you for waiting so long while I kept starting over.
I'm RWONMF too
My Gooish profile | Videos on YouTube | My WOG Mods
I'm RWOWFINTATT (Run WooGLE On Whatever Folder I Need To At The Time)
You should never run WooGLE or WooBLE (or anything) on your original "original" folder, keep that VERY safe. But a straight up copy in another location is fine.
However, there are several advantages and disadvantages to running the editors on the GooTool modified folder. And it's kinda down to you which outweighs which.
The Advantages:
Easy access to downloaded levels, balls etc
All required "global" resources (materials, particles, text etc) are present.
The Disadvantage:
Changes you make to existing or original graphics, Ball and Level XML's, global fx,material,text files could be overwritten by GooTool when you next click Save, if you're not careful.
Obviously these are all reversed if you edit in another folder..
If you want to edit / look at a downloaded level, you need to copy it across manually.
If you want to use a ball (or something), that has a custom particle effect or material, you will have to manually decrypt the global files, copy the custom thing over in the XML, then encrypt the file again.
But...
Everything in your editting folder is "safe", and you don't run the risk of GooTool overwritting your hard work.
There is one other big advantage to using "not-your-GooTool-modded" folder.
You can properly test your goomods, which is especially important if you are making / modifying them by hand.
If you test your goomod by installing it into the same folder as you created / editted it... How do you know if you've included all the necessary stuff? Because that folder already had it all in anyway.
The best, only real, way to test a goomod is to install it into a "clean" folder with it as the only addin installed in GooTool. That's a bit impractical, so testing it by installing it into a folder that doesn't already have that level / ball / whatever in.. is usually "sufficient".
Me... I use both!
I have an "Editing" folder for my levels and various testing stuff which I created using GooTool. I installed all my levels and addins and a couple of other useful ones in GooTool.. clicked Save.. then renamed the output folder.
So I got all the custom global stuff, as well as the level and ball info.
But for my "mod duties", checking levels, diagnosing problems with other peoples addins.. I swap the editors over to look at the modded folder, so that I can easily acccess everything I need for that.
Which is "better" really depends on what you're doing at the time.
Okay, very good points, DaB. I'll try to keep these in mind. Thanks!
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